Tips on building orientation in choosing and developing a building plot

It seems obvious, but it is sadly often too true that new homeowners make some classic mistakes when orienting their new luxury home within their building plot or in choosing a building plot which offers the essentials for good orientation.  In particular it is vital to think carefully about building orientation and energy consumption when building your new home.

Building orientation is important in reducing energy consumption and keeping the interior temperature comfortable.  When designing and siting your new home within your building plot, it is necessary to think about using the sun to your advantage.  As we all know, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and is higher in the summer sky and lower in the winter sky.  Therefore the orientation of the whole building should be planned and constructed to capture free heat in the winter and minimise too much heat in the summer.  Since you live in your home through summer and winter, you should design it for the entire year. The ideal house orientation is that the main long axis (the ridge line) of the building runs from east to west. It is generally agreed that you can move this orientation  by as much as 20 degrees without ill effect, but that the most glass finishes on the building should face towards the sun.

When choosing a plot or deciding the building orientation of your new home within a plot it is important to take into account the location of landscape features on the building plot, for example trees and walls, which may impact on how you harness the sun for your home. Ideally you do not want landscape features blocking the sunlight as the sun tracks across the sky.

When planning your building, think about where to locate your living areas.  The rooms most used must be on the side of the house orientated towards the sun, i.e. the kitchen, lounge, dining etc. The least used rooms such as garage, laundry etc will be on the more shaded side of the house.  These shaded rooms can also act as additional thermal mass, if properly insulated. (Thermal Mass is material that absorbs heat from a heat source, and then releases it slowly  - such as concrete or bricks).  Thinking through how your home will relate to your garden is also vital, providing sun-filled sheltered areas adjacent to house interiors to allow seamless indoor/outdoor living spaces.

When buying a building plot and planning and designing your new home, a sustainable, whole house approach to design and construction is essential.  For more information on passive solar design click here>